Chapter 139: Lurking

The moon emerged from behind the dark clouds, and the dim forest began to brighten slightly.

Cheng Jingmo looked up at the sky. The pale moonlight filtered through the dense branches, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow on his face.

After just two or three seconds, he lowered his head, crouched slightly, and continued forward.

He was alone in the forest, with even the animals hidden in their burrows, asleep.

Apart from the “rustling” sound of the wind through the trees, there was no other noise.

It felt like returning to his childhood—same loneliness, same cold and hunger.

The difference was that this was the subtropics, where even in winter, the vegetation was lush. In his childhood, snow covered the ground and trees. Every step he took, his legs would sink into the snow, and it took considerable effort to pull them out.

Another difference was that as a child, he was filled with fear, and his tears would freeze. Now, he feared nothing because he had a mission and hope.

Cheng Jingmo bent down, pushed aside the tall grass nearly up to his calves, and carefully inspected the base of each tree trunk.

Just when he thought he would return disappointed, he discovered a mark near the base of one tree.

He excitedly pulled out his flashlight from his pocket and shone it on the mark—it was one he recognized.

He drew a new mark beside it with a dagger from his waist.

His hands trembled with excitement as he made the mark.

After marking it, Cheng Jingmo sat on the ground and looked up at the moon again.

He muttered to himself, “It’s already the beginning of spring…”

Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie must be sleeping soundly now.

He had promised to return home within a month, but it had already been forty-six days, and he still hadn’t gone back.

Yu Xiangnian had to work at home every day, and also do the laundry and cooking.

With such thick clothes and cold water, her slender arms might not even be able to wring out the water.

Yu Xiangnian must be angry; she might even be scolding him in her dreams.

Whenever he thought of Yu Xiangnian, Cheng Jingmo felt both joy and worry.

It was Yu Xiangnian who brought color to his black-and-white world and light to his life.

It was also Yu Xiangnian who made him anxious and worried, always fearing that he wasn’t doing enough, unable to provide the life she wanted.

Cheng Jingmo sighed inwardly, stood up, and returned with a noticeably lighter step.

After walking for more than an hour, he arrived near a cave. Cheng Jingmo carefully observed the surroundings to ensure there were no anomalies before crouching and entering the cave.

Inside the cave, three soldiers heard the noise and simultaneously opened their eyes to look towards the entrance. They grabbed their guns and remained on guard.

“It’s me,” Cheng Jingmo said in a low voice.

The soldiers’ alertness faded. As Cheng Jingmo approached, one of them asked, “Deputy Cheng, any news?”

Cheng Jingmo nodded solemnly, his face showing a rare look of relaxation, “Yu Xiangyang is safe.”

The three soldiers sighed in relief simultaneously, showing relieved smiles, “Finally!”

Cheng Jingmo said, “We’ll spend the next few days gathering enough food and resting, waiting for news from Yu Xiangyang.”

The three men nodded heavily.

“You continue resting. I’ll keep watch,” Cheng Jingmo said.

“Deputy Cheng, you haven’t slept for three days and nights. You should rest; I’ll take the watch,” Fan Lei said, stepping forward.

“Don’t talk. Rest as much as you can,” Cheng Jingmo said, “You’ll keep watch tomorrow night.”

The three soldiers closed their eyes again to sleep.

Cheng Jingmo sat near the entrance of the cave, leaning against the wall, lost in thought.

Their mission this time was to gather intelligence on a smuggling gang and then contact headquarters to send people to eliminate them.

This gang had long operated along the border of the two countries, trafficking in information, people, drugs… as long as there was money to be made, they would trade anything!

The five of them, disguised as mountain hunters, entered the mountains. On the third day after entering, they were ambushed.

Cheng Jingmo suspected that this criminal gang had multiple surveillance points at the entrance of the mountain.

Otherwise, in a forest almost as dense as the primitive forest, their movements couldn’t have been so easily discovered.

During the retreat, Zhu Xiaohu accidentally slipped and rolled down the slope. Although Cheng Jingmo managed to catch him, his bag, which contained the communication radio with headquarters, tumbled down the cliff.

Zhu Xiaohu broke his left leg, and his bag was lost.

Yu Xiangyang was responsible for drawing the enemy away, while Cheng Jingmo, Fan Lei, and Lou Wujun took turns carrying Zhu Xiaohu and managed to escape.

The four of them took refuge in a cave, set Zhu Xiaohu’s leg, and waited for Yu Xiangyang’s return.

They left markers along the way so that Yu Xiangyang could find them.

Yu Xiangyang returned a day later, with injuries on his face and hands, suggesting that he had been running too quickly and hadn’t noticed the branches scratching him.

Now, with no way to contact headquarters and an injured member, they were in a dilemma.

Continuing the mission was risky because the enemy had already grown suspicious. With an injured person, retreating would be difficult and expose them.

Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangyang were both unwilling to give up, and after this setback, they became even more determined.

After a day of consideration, both of them arrived at the same idea: infiltrate the enemy.

They argued over who should go undercover, each wanting to take the task.

Cheng Jingmo felt Yu Xiangyang’s temperament was a bit rash and not suited for this mission.

Yu Xiangyang countered, “People like me need to do something. If you make me wait here, I’ll only become more restless! If you stay outside, you’ll have to make all the decisions if anything happens. Plus, I’m not good at surviving in the wild. We might not return for a month. In this cold winter, where will I find food?”

Yu Xiangyang repeatedly assured Cheng Jingmo that he wouldn’t be rash and impulsive and would endure hardships while infiltrating the enemy.

They agreed on a thirty-day period.

If Yu Xiangyang did not send any signal within thirty days, it would be assumed that he had sacrificed himself, and Cheng Jingmo would make other plans.

Yu Xiangyang left that night.

Before he left, he took out a letter from his chest and handed it to Cheng Jingmo, saying seriously, “Cheng Jingmo, give this to my father. If I don’t return, ask Nian Nian to spend more time with my parents.”

He had turned to leave but came back with an even more serious expression.

Yu Xiangyang whispered, “There’s a magazine under my bed. The first thing you need to do when you get back is destroy it. Make sure no one sees it!”

Cheng Jingmo rubbed his forehead, “I’m not doing that. I can’t afford to lose face! You handle it yourself!”

Yu Xiangyang said angrily, “If I could get back, I wouldn’t need you to tell me!”

Cheng Jingmo replied, “I’ll inform the commander and have him arrange for its destruction.”

Yu Xiangyang glared at him, speechless.

After a long while, he cursed, “Cheng Jingmo, damn your grandfather! Just you wait! When I get back, I’ll bring Nian Nian home. You can take care of a dog and go have fun!”